The Grass Isn't Always Greener
by RedPhoenix1
Summary: CH5 up: Ron has had enough and confronts Harry, with disasterous consequences! H/Hr Changed rating just to be safe.
1. The Grass Isn't Always Greener

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter universe or any of the characters living there.  
  
Summary: Ron thinks Harry has gotten his way long enough and decides to confront him about it with disasterous consequences! H/Hr Please feel free to R&R!   
  
A/N: This is just one scene that has been running through my head that I was going to put into a larger story. Unfortunately, I may never have the time to sit down and write that story. I had to write this. It was making it impossible to study for my Operations Research test. I hope you enjoy it.   
  
Harry hadn't seen that coming. Ron had just blown up at him without warning. He knew that Ron had been jealous of the attention that Harry was getting from everyone, but he thought that Ron had worked past that last year during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Guess not.  
  
"Why doesn't he understand how difficult it is to be The Boy Who Lived?"  
  
Hermione did the only thing she could think to do; she pulled Harry into a deep and loving kiss. When they separated she still held him close and said, "I don't know where all of that out there came from but you've given him a lot to think about. Maybe he'll come around, maybe he won't. No matter what happens I'll still be here.  
  
"Harry, I want you to promise me something. Promise me that you won't keep that much emotion bottled up anymore. It was really scary to see you finally pop. Promise me that you'll come to me and talk about it, please?"  
  
Harry stepped back just enough to look her directly in the eyes, and with as much love as his frazzled nerves would allow him, and said, "I promise to do my very best. I'd do anything for you, 'Mione. I love you."  
  
They didn't leave Harry's room in the prefect dorm for the rest of the night.  
~~~ Moments ago in the Gryffindor Common Room ~~~  
Harry had just sat down at one of the tables near the fireplace to try and catch up on some of his homework that he'd been putting off all week. He'd had Quidditch practice every night this week. Angelina, the team's new captain, has been working them very hard in an effort to make sure they were ready for their game against Ravenclaw on Saturday. Ravenclaw had beaten both Slytherin and Hufflepuff and had a lead in the point standings over Gryffindor by seventy points. There could be no room for error if Gryffindor was going to defend its title.  
  
Harry was startled shortly after starting his Potions essay on the comparative qualities of the Eagle-eyes and Night-Sight potions. Ron had burst in through the portrait hole, slamming it in his haste. He looked up. Ron's face was almost as red as his hair.  
  
"You just can't help yourself, can you, Harry? You have to have everything, don't you?" Ron yelled without caring that others were also studying.   
  
"Ron, what are you talking about?" he asked while finishing the sentence he was writing before setting his essay aside.  
  
"Oh, like you didn't already know! You get good marks in almost every class without really trying. Everybody looks up to you like some kind of god. Plus you're on the house team. Malfoy's right about you; you're Mister Perfect Prefect Potter!" Each sentence brought a deeper shade of red to Ron's face.  
  
Without thinking Harry stood up quickly, his forgotten Potions book flying from his lap. He was now standing almost nose to nose with Ron, instantly angered.  
  
"You think my life is perfect?!? Everyone expects me to be the best at everything I do just because I'm alive! Harry Potter, the boy who once defeated Voldemort, can do everything! I'm nowhere near perfect. I would think that you, of all people, would know that!" Harry didn't care that he and Ron now had an almost captive audience, which was growing larger as their fellow students started coming down from the dorms to see what the ruckus was about.  
  
"Hogwash! Perfect Potter can do no wrong! Don't think I haven't noticed that your grades are now competing with Hermione's. And you don't study nearly as much as she does! Why, I don't think I've seen you crack your books open more than an hour or two any given week. With all the time that you've been spending with Dumbledore and McGonagall it's a wonder you even have time to play Super Seeker with Fred and George. I know you don't seem to have any time for your friends, or I should say friend, because you still make time for Hermione every spare chance you get!" At that Ron started to turn to go to his dorm room. Harry wasn't going to let him get the last word, though. He grabbed him by the arm and forced him to face him again.  
  
"Let's look at my perfect life, shall we?! My mum and dad were killed when I was just a year old. I've had to live with the Dursleys ever since, and if you think that was great fun then you're way off your rocker. I'd sooner live in Snape's office! But Dumbledore insists that I return every summer to that horrible place while you get to go home to your family who all love you immensely. Any one of them would give their life for you! Anytime you have a problem you can simply walk into the next room and ask a brother or your parents. Me? I have to send a letter to someone like Dumbledore and wait for a week or so for a reply.  
  
"Don't even get me started on homework! During the summers I have to do all my schoolwork when the Dursleys are asleep, hiding under a blanket for fear of someone seeing the dim light I use. You could plop down on the kitchen table in broad daylight and do yours. If you ever did it in the first place! You have no idea how much I envy you and your freedom! You have all these things going for you and you take it for granted.  
  
"How about the rest of the wizarding world, let's not forget them! Whenever I meet anyone new the first thing they look at is my forehead. You have no idea how annoying that is. Everyone, including Dumbledore, probably the most powerful wizard alive today, thinks that I may be the only one who can defeat Voldemort. How would you like to have that hanging over your head every moment of every day? The fate of the entire world rests upon my 15 year old shoulders!  
  
"On top of that, I could inadvertently get someone killed just by being around them at the wrong time, just like Cedric Diggory! He didn't deserve what he got. If he hadn't grabbed the Tri-Wizard cup with me he'd still be alive. I live in fear that it'll happen again! Who'll it be next? You? Hermione? One of your brothers, or Ginny? I care about all of you so much that it scares me to no end to think that I may be the cause for your deaths!  
  
"You guys were the only ones who looked at me and saw ME and not the SCAR! I guess I was wrong about you, though. Obviously that's all you're seeing now. I never asked for any special attention. I certainly didn't ask to be made a prefect! My life was complicated enough as it was.  
  
"And how would you like to have your dreams interrupted by visions of the unspeakably evil acts that Voldemort has been planning? I'm lucky if I can get a night's sleep once in a while." Harry had to stop and take a few long, deep breaths. Ron wasted no time.  
  
"Boo hoo! Poor Harry had to live with bad muggles for so long. I'd throw you a pity party, but you don't deserve it. You've wasted no time in getting everything you could from the wizarding world to more than make up for the inconvenient life you used to have. Little Harry Potter has no money to buy his school supplies. Oops. Forgot to tell you Harry, you've inherited a vault FULL of galleons, sickles, and knuts! But we can't have you spending any more than absolutely necessary. Need a pet? Here you go, Harry, a rather rare snowy owl just for you!  
  
"Oh no! All-mighty Harry made the Quidditch team but he doesn't have a broom. Let's just give him a Nimbus Two Thousand! And throw in a little something from his father so he can use it to break curfew so we can just look the other way!  
  
"Uh oh. Potter's broken the law! We can't expel HIM, which unfortunately means we can't expel that worthless Weasley either. Look out, he's broken about fifty more so we'll give him and that other boy an award.  
  
"Bloody hell, Harry's precious broom has been smashed into kindling. Here you go, how about a Firebolt to help the grieving process.  
  
"Hey everybody look! Here comes famous Harry Potter. Let's go say hi and see if he'll be our friend.  
  
"If that weren't enough, you had to go and ask Hermione out! Even though you knew I was thinking about asking her myself. Naturally, she said yes to the great Harry Potter! She'd probably jump up on the table in the Great Hall and spread her legs if you asked her to! She's been hanging on…." He never got to say "your every word since day one."  
  
WHAM!  
  
Before either of them knew what happened Ron flew across the room like he had been hit by an invisible fist, crashing into the wall between the stairwells leading to the dorms. Everyone quickly got out of Harry's way as he walked straight toward the nearly unconscious form of his 'friend'. No one missed the sparkling energy that was starting to form around Harry's eyes, which looked like they cold kill you if he just looked at you.  
  
Harry bent over Ron and slapped him hard enough to make sure he had his undivided attention then grabbed him by the front of his collar and yanked him to an almost sitting position.  
  
"It is one thing to insult me, call me names, or distort a situation to fit your   
own delusions. It's an entirely different thing to say what you just said about someone who has stood by you everyday for the last five years! Hermione even defended you to me last year when you stormed off in your fit of anger, or jealousy, when you thought I had put my name into the Goblet of Fire. She does not deserve to be treated like that. If you ever say anything even remotely like that again, and I find out about it, the mum will kill me because I'm going to kill her poor Ronnikins!  
  
"Don't look away from ME!" SLAP! "I'm not done yet. Since you seem to have forgotten, I did wait. I waited almost two years for you to ask Hermione out. You never did. Every time I thought that you would you just chickened out and mumbled something about having to be somewhere. Here's a newsflash for you! Hermione was waiting for you to ask as well! You just waited too long." Harry released him and Ron fell back against the wall. Harry stood up, now noticing for the first time that there were other people in the common room. He looked around at the faces of his fellow Gryffindors. It looked like everyone was there, including Fred and George Weasley, and stand not more than five feet away was Hermione. She looked like she couldn't decide whether to be embarrassed by what Ron had said, angry that Ron even thought them about her, happy that Harry cared so much about her, or scared of Harry for the incredible power that he threw at Ron without so much as lifting a finger.  
  
Harry had to look back down at Ron. Lying at his feet like a broken marionette doll, Ron just stared back up at him, his eyes still burning with anger. But there was something else there as well. Fear? Uncertainty? Remorse? Harry couldn't tell and frankly didn't care at that point.  
  
"Ronald Weasley, son of two great parents and brother to six wonderful siblings, who can do whatever he wants whenever he wants because he doesn't have to live up to anyone's expectations, who has grown up in a loving home, anytime that you want to try and live a while in my place just let me know! I'd gladly trade all my money in Gringotts if I could've had the childhood you've had. You might just find that the grass isn't greener on my side of the proverbial fence!"  
  
With a quick look around the common room again Harry vanished, along with all of his schoolwork, that laid forgotten near the fire, and Hermione as well. 


	2. Dark Ron

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter universe or any of the characters living there.  
  
Summary: Harry and Hermione talk about how they're going to handle the situation with Ron.  
  
A/N: I hadn't intended on continuing this story until I had more time this summer. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, this scene just hit me upside the head and demanded to be written.  
  
____________________________________________________  
  
A week later.  
  
The past week they should have been enjoying their new relationship. However, Harry and Hermione were worried about their friend. That's not to say that they didn't have their private moments when their world only included them. They'd managed to end up in one or the other's bedroom each night, exploring this new aspect of their lives.  
  
Unfortunately, just as the sun rose each day, so did their worries. Ron has avoided them completely all week. Neither of them had seen him at any meal since the fight last week. Classes were a nightmare as well. It seemed that Ron was deliberately sitting with people that he knew that Harry and Hermione would disapprove of. The biggest surprise had come Friday afternoon. Ron was sitting with Draco Malfoy! The same boy who had been tormenting Ron since their first day.  
  
Harry could hear the two of them whispering throughout the class. His name had been mentioned several times. Too bad he couldn't really hear what they were saying. Harry tried to block them out but he was repeatedly interrupted when he felt Hermione tense up each time she heard Ron say her name in the same tone that Malfoy always used. If that weren't surprise enough, Professor Snape had actually complimented Ron several times about his improved potions skills. Harry and Hermione hadn't missed the almost sideways glance that Snape gave them each time. Clearly, he meant that Ron's potions skills hadn't necessarily improved, just his choice in friends.  
  
What hurt the most may have been on Saturday. The Gryffindor - Ravenclaw Quidditch match. Harry hadn't expected to see Ron. He figured he would avoid the match like he had been avoiding them. To Harry's horror, this wasn't the case. Ron showed up all right. He just sat on the Ravenclaw side of the pitch. He was dressed not in the scarlet and gold of Gryffindor, but in the blue and silver of Ravenclaw. McGonagall noticed as well and told him to change at once. Ron responded with a "Sod off!" or similar remark which earned him detention. Ron just laughed and turned to talk to a Ravenclaw third year that Harry didn't recognize. If Ron had stopped there, Harry might have been able to overlook it. When Hermione told Harry later that night that she had seen Ron cheering each time a Ravenclaw "accidentally" ran into him as he was about to catch the snitch and that he was responsible for the sky writing that announced 'POTTER SUCKS' when he finally caught the snitch, thus securing the lead in the Quidditch cup race, Harry almost lost it for the second time in less than a week. Luckily, the two of them were alone and Hermione was able to calm him as only she had the power.  
  
It also didn't help matters that Ron had bespelled Harry and Hermione's prefect room doors to shout 'Welcome to the Snog Shack!' whenever they entered. It had taken them three days to break the charm, and only then with Dumbledore's guidance. On the one hand, they were both happy that Ron's magical abilities were improving greatly. On the other hand, they knew why. Malfoy had been showing him some of the spells he had learned from his father, Lucius Malfoy, rumored right-hand man to Voldemort. So far they haven't progressed into the more dark curses that the Dark Lord was famous for. Revelations such as these had led to some of their frequent discussions.  
  
One of which they were having tonight.  
  
Harry leaned against the headboard on his bed with Hermione leaning back against him. The bedsheets draped casually across them. His left hand was on her stomach while his right was unconsciously holding hers just under her chest.  
  
"Harry, I'm really worried. Ron's become so dark lately." Hermione tilted her head just enough that she could see his face. And so he could see hers.  
  
"I know, 'Mione. Malfoy seems to have him twisted around his finger. I'm afraid FOR Ron more than OF him. If he's not careful, Malfoy may completely turn him. Maybe even so far as to become a death-eater." Harry shuddered at the thought. Almost on instinct they kissed each other briefly, just enough to show their love and trust in one another.  
  
"I think we're going to have to talk to him. And the sooner the better. McGonagall talked to me after the prefect meeting tonight. That's why I had to stay behind. She seems to think that, once again, I'm the only one that can save the day, so to speak." Harry tried to inject a little humor in that last bit, but knew he failed. "She told me that he's been deliberately picking fights with the younger students. Twice in the presence of other prefects. She hinted that serious disciplinary measures may have to be taken soon. She didn't go into details, but I think she was talking about expulsion from Gryffindor. Maybe eventually, even Hogwarts entirely. I know Ron hates us right now, but I still can't stop thinking of him as my friend."  
  
Hermione reached up with her free hand to gently stroke the side of Harry's face as he talked. "I know, Harry, I do too. He's our friend and we've got to help him."  
  
Harry smiled at her seemingly unconscious ministrations. "Even if he doesn't want our help?"  
  
Hermione gave him a quick kiss before she responded, "Especially if he doesn't want our help."  
  
*You've got to give her credit, 'Mione knows how to punctuate a point!* Harry thought as he just as quickly returned the favor. "I'm not sure how we're going to able to do that. We're probably going to need to recruit some help. Ron'll never stick around long enough for us to talk to him. And I don't think you putting him in a full-body bind will help."  
  
*How'd he know I was about to suggest that as a possible solution?* "How about we ask either McGonagall or Dumbledore? McGonagall could probably have him stay after Transfigurations. Perhaps Dumbledore could summon the three of us to his office, then conveniently step out for a moment?" Hermione smiled hopefully.  
  
"Both are great ideas, Hermione. We could probably ask them tomorrow at breakfast. We can probably expect Ron to be conspicuously absent, so that would be a perfect time. They might even have a few ideas of their own."  
  
"And it wouldn't be the first time that a prefect or two had talked to a teacher at the head table. It shouldn't arouse anyone's suspicions, Malfoy's for example." With a plan of action worked out, Hermione started some more active ministrations by reaching behind Harry's head and pulling him into a deeper, more passionate kiss.  
  
Harry didn't miss the clue. When they separated he took the opportunity tease her a little. "Why, Miss Granger, don't you think we might be spending an inordinate amount of time in bed?"  
  
"No, Mr. Potter, I don't think that at all. And you have no room to talk, Mr. I'll Just Move My Right Hand A Little To The North!"  
  
Sliding further under the sheets, they took the opportunity to once again explore this aspect of their relationship. 


	3. A Hufflepuff gets badgered

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**  I don't own the Harry Potter universe or any of the recognizable characters living there.  I am just borrowing them to tell this story.

**Summary:**  Ron shows more of his darker side as he torments a few helpless animals as well as a fellow student.

* * *

Harry and Hermione didn't eat much at breakfast the following day.  They needed to speak to Dumbledore and McGonagall and wanted to make sure that neither Professor left before they could get their chance.  As it turned out they had nothing to worry about.  Less than halfway through breakfast Professor McGonagall asked them to join her at the head table.  Harry and Hermione looked at each other and knew that the other was thinking the same thing:  _McGonagall knew that they wanted to speak to her._

They both apologized to Dean and Seamus for having to leave in the middle of their story about their last Hogsmeade trip.  Gathering their book bags, they followed Professor McGonagall up to the head table where they found that two additional chairs had been placed between and just behind Dumbledore's and McGonagall's chairs.  As soon as McGonagall sat down, both Professors turned their chairs to face the empty chairs.  Dumbledore indicated that Harry and Hermione should sit and waited while they did so.

Dumbledore was the first to speak.  "I gather from the number of times the two of you glanced up here that you wanted to speak to us.  I imagine that this has something to do with a certain wayward Gryffindor?"  Albus Dumbledore gave both prefects a look that seemed to say that he was just as worried about Ron's recent actions as they were.

With only the slightest glance to Harry, Hermione correctly deduced that he wanted her to start.  "Yes, Professors, Harry and I think that we should talk to Ron.  Our hope is that we might be able to talk some sense into him before things get any more out of hand.  However, Ron has been avoiding us all week.  We were hoping that the two of you could help us."

The four of them talked for the remainder of breakfast and had worked out a plan.  After Transfigurations, Professor McGonagall would ask Ron to stay a few moments to discuss his poor class performance.  Harry and Hermione would head to Dumbledore's office.  As soon as they arrived, Dumbledore would summon Ron to his office.  Once Ron arrived, Professor Dumbledore would receive an owl that he'd pretend to be from the Ministry and would excuse himself.  Once out of the room he'd charm his office door to not open again until the counter-charm was used, which Harry and Hermione would know, of course.

Both students left the Great Hall in higher spirits than they had entered with.  They had their plan, and they only had to wait two class periods to put it into action.  Harry and Hermione walked hand in hand out through the main entrance to the castle and headed toward Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures.  As if reflecting their mood, the weather was the nicest it had been for several weeks.  Even though it was still early, there was a warm breeze and the sun was shining brightly from above the Scottish hills that surrounded Hogwarts.  The few clouds that could be seen were showing signs of disappearing as well.  The sky itself was already a warm shade of blue.  There was no doubt that today would be a great day to be outside.

Since they had left a few minutes earlier than the other students, Harry and Hermione were the first to arrive.  The sight that greeted them made them smile even more than they already were.  Sitting on the steps to his hut, Hagrid was surrounded by what looked like about fifteen large kittens, except the color of their fur.  Struggling to escape from Hagrid's lap and the clumsy petting from his oversize hands, a bright orange whatever-they-were didn't look pleased.  A dusty blue one was chewing on one of Hagrid's pant legs.  Rolling and playing at his other side were a pair of lime green ones.  Lying in the shade on the western side of the hut the rest were in various stages of sleep.  Some were dark brown while the others were different shades of yellow-brown.  The one nearest to the approaching students yawned, briefly exposing two rows of sharp, feline teeth before lying back down.  With the exception of the one in Hagrid's lap, every one of them was purring.

"'Ello 'Ermione, 'Arry.  Would ye like ter pet one?  Don' worry, dere not dang'rous."  Hagrid leaned down, picked up the blue one, and handed it to Harry.

When Harry took it from Hagrid it looked him in the eye before curling up in his arms.  Harry thought that he'd seen its fur become a deeper shade of blue while it was looking into his eyes.  He just figured that it was a trick of the increasing sunlight.  When Hermione started to pet it, there was no mistaking that its fur had changed color.  It went from the pale blue to a bright greenish-blue and started to purr once again.  Harry didn't know what to make of it so he looked up at Hermione and he could tell that she didn't know either.  She was smiling, though.  She couldn't help it; she loved cats.

Hermione looked toward Hagrid and noticed that he had stopped petting the one in his lap.  Oddly enough, its fur was no longer orange.  It turned blue moments before it sunk its claws into Hagrid's thigh.  Hagrid was startled and made a motion as if to swat it away.  It quickly jumped down from his lap and went over and joined the two that were rolling around with each other.  As it did so, its fur changed color again to closely match the lime green if its companions.

"Hagrid, what are they?"

"Purrmeleons.  Dey were jus' weaned from der mutter las' week.  It took some coatsing, but I got ser to let me to bring dem ter shows da class.  Ah, 'ere dey come now."  The rest of the class had arrived and Hagrid stood up and making sure not to step on any of the purrmeleons, started class.

Purrmeleons weren't like the usual creatures that Hagrid liked to show to his classes.  They weren't dangerous, unless you bothered it when its fur was red.  Red fur meant that the purrmeleon was about to attack whatever had angered it.  It seemed that their fur acted on much the same principle as a muggle mood-ring.  Its color indicated how it was feeling.  Brown meant that it was asleep.  Yellow was relaxed, orange annoyed, and green happy.  Blue meant that the purrmeleon was being mischievous or deep in concentration.  Purple meant that something was upsetting it.

They are larger than normal felines and grow to be about the size of a small horse.  When they're young they tend to be very independent, oftentimes they'll go off on their own and not return for weeks at a time.  As they mature they start to stick to smaller areas.

A purrmeleon's purr can lift a witch or wizards spirit, as well as quiet a disturbed mind.  St. Mungo's is visited almost weekly by an elderly witch and all of her younger pet purrmeleons.  Once a purrmeleon allows itself to become a pet, it is very loyal and protective of its owner.  Although they aren't aggressive by nature, they are quite capable of killing smaller animals.  If it were to attack a wizard, the wizard may not be killed but he'll most likely be missing several large chunks of flesh.

Purrmeleons do not roar as some large felines do.  In fact, they have no need for any vocalizations, except for the purring.  Some witches and wizards theorize that the purr isn't a vocalization at all.  They believe it to emanate from an organ in the purrmeleon's upper abdomen.  No matter how many tests that are run on it, the organ has no discernable function.

After Hagrid had explained everything about purrmeleons, he had the class break up into pairs.  Each pair was instructed to pick out one and see if you can pet it.  The pair that could get their purrmeleon to relax enough around them to go to sleep would earn an extra ten house points.  Most of the class had no trouble getting the purrmeleon to let them pet it, but they couldn't get it to go to sleep.  Perhaps because they had a head start or because their purrmeleon could sense that they were pure of heart, Harry and Hermione had no trouble getting theirs to relax and go to sleep.

Ron and Draco weren't having very good luck.  Theirs wanted to play, as was indicated by its blue-green fur.  Each time they tried to pet it, it would briefly change pale orange and go back to running through and around their legs.  When he had had enough chasing it around his feet, Draco grabbed the purrmeleon firmly and picked it up as if to hold it.  It immediately turned bright orange and started to squirm and scratch him.  Ron tried to pet it again to try to calm it down.  It didn't have the effect he'd hoped.  The purrmeleon turned bright red.  Although he had seen this and started to pull his hand away, Ron wasn't quick enough.  The purrmeleon bit his hand, drawing two sets of blood trails.  Upon seeing this, Draco dropped it roughly and backed away.  Ron made a move as if he was going to kick it, but at the last moment stopped and simply glowered at the orange-red purrmeleon.  Neither one tried to touch it for the rest of class.

* * *

Divination had been a waste of time, as always.  When Professor Trelawney noticed that Ron was not in class, she made as if she had seen his absence in a vision.  She went on to say that she had seen his illness coming.  Harry didn't bother correcting her by telling Trelawney that Ron was probably in the hospital wing getting his hand looked at.  Trelawney had the students break into groups of four and gave them Tarot cards to practice with.  Each student would do a reading of the student to their right while the other two took notes about the reading.  Once finished, the student that had the reading done on them would do the reading for the next student and so on.  Naturally, when it came time for Parvati to do Harry's reading, Trelawney made sure to 'correct' the reading so that it signaled Harry's death.  Harry couldn't help thinking that he'd wished that Hermione were in Divination with him.  He had enjoyed seeing her point out flaws in everything that Trelawney predicted.

* * *

Finally, they arrived at Transfigurations.  As they entered the classroom, Hermione glanced at Professor McGonagall and saw her give a brief nod.  McGonagall hadn't forgotten their plan.  Harry and Hermione took their customary seats near the front of the room; the seat to Harry's right remained empty.  Harry turned around in time to see Ron entering the room and sitting in the empty seat at the back of the classroom.  Since the Gryffindors had Transfigurations with the Hufflepuffs, Ron sat alone.

As it was close to the end of their fifth year and they would be starting human transfigurations the following year, Professor McGonagall had been having the students working with chimpanzees for the last month.  They had transfigured the chimpanzees into inanimate objects, such as an old book or a coat rack, as well as into another living creature, a mouse.

Today's class would be the next step.  They were going to be transfiguring the chimpanzees into something larger than a mouse, a badger.  This had met with general excitement from the class as it signaled that they were almost ready for doing important transfigurations.

The chimpanzees, however, weren't the least bit excited at this prospect.  When McGonagall had explained the steps to perform the transfiguration, the chimpanzees started to get restless and kept looking around nervously.  It seemed that they almost knew what was coming and didn't like it one bit.  They began to throw whatever they could get their hands on regardless of what it was.  In a matter of seconds, the room went from neat and organized to total disarray.

Professor McGonagall quickly calmed them down with a few choice words and a flick of her wand.  Another flick and the room was back as it had been.  No doubt she's had to do this before.  Not all creatures liked being turned into something else.

As the class progressed, more and more students had gotten the transfiguration correct.  Hermione was the first, of course.  When she had finished she turned to help Harry, but was greeted by the sight of another successful badger.  The two of them started to go around the room and help the other students.

Minerva McGonagall silently congratulated herself once again for choosing the two of them to be the fifth year prefects.  The two of them had both taken to their roles as prefects so quickly at the beginning of the year and were continuously proving themselves to be outstanding prefects.  Not only did they enforce the school rules, they also followed them almost religiously.  Oh, they had a few incidents earlier in the year, but overall their performance has been exemplary.  The only other prefect in recent years that outdid their rule enforcements was Percy Weasley.  Unlike Percy, however, Harry and Hermione hadn't allowed the fact that they were prefects to give them inflated egos.  Instead of showing everyone that they deserved to be prefects by outdoing everyone else, they made sure that everyone else was as proficient as they possibly could be.  They truly cared about their fellow students.  Not since James Potter and Lily Evans has Hogwarts been blessed with such students.

As Harry and Hermione helped more students, they in turn helped others.  This had led Susan Bones to try and help Ron, whom she had thought was having troubles.  The chimpanzee in front of Ron had only partially transfigured.  Both its legs on the right side had been successfully changed, as well as the fur down its back and its tail.  Ron would restore the chimp before beginning again, this time its head and upper torso would transfigure but the rest was unaffected.

Susan was a quiet student that had been sorted into Hufflepuff.  She may not be as smart or clever as Hermione, but she always managed to be near the top of her classes.  She wasn't afraid to put in the extra time studying if it meant she could get good grades.  She was liked by her entire House, and she was proud to be in Hufflepuff.  Some of her dorm-mates wished to be in Gryffindor, but she knew she was right where she belonged.  She differed from the other female Hufflepuffs in another way.  Where they all seemed to have a crush on Harry Potter, Susan had always liked Ron.  Like Ron, she had red hair and her fair share of freckles.  Although she would never win any awards for beauty, she wasn't a Millicent Bullstrode, either.  She had tried to get Ron to notice her before by sitting near him in every class that she could.  She had even 'accidentally' spilled potion ingredients in his direction hoping to start a conversation with him.

When she saw the sorry state his chimpanzee was in she saw this as her opportunity to get him to notice her.  She went to the back of the room, pulled out the chair next to his and sat down.  She smiled in his direction and said, "Hi, Ron, would you like some help with your transfiguration?  You seem to be having a little difficulty."

Ron didn't even bother to look at Susan.  He kept his eyes on the chimpanzee, which was staring back at him with fear in its eyes.  Once again he restored the chimp before proceeding again.  This time the lower half of the chimpanzee successfully transfigured into that of a badger's hind quarters, but the upper half didn't so much as change color.

Susan looked from Ron to the badger-chimp and back and smiled once more.  "You've almost got it.  You just need to concentrate a little more and it'll happen."  As she spoke she reached out and lightly placed her hand on Ron's forearm.  This got Ron's attention.

Ron glanced down at the hand on his arm and then up at the person attached to it.  For the briefest of moments Ron gave her a warm smile, but almost as soon as it appeared it reverted to a scowl.  He removed the hand from his arm and pointed his wand directly at Susan.  Moments later, sitting in the chair once occupied by the Hufflepuff student, was a perfectly transfigured badger.  He bent over and looked it directly in the eyes before he spoke.  "As you can see, I'm perfectly capable of doing the transfiguration.  Now stop badgering me!"  He smiled again, only this time it wasn't the warm smile of a few moments ago; it was the kind of smile that sent shivers up the spine of some of the bravest people.  The badger/student jumped from the chair and ran directly toward Professor McGonagall.

The Professor looked down to see a badger pulling on her robes with its teeth.  Her first thought was that one of the students had lost control of their animal.  That thought disappeared as soon as she looked into the badger's eyes.  She quickly restored the student to her normal appearance and questioned her as to what lead to her transformation.  Susan quietly told McGonagall about how she had gone to help Ron with his chimpanzee and how he had transfigured her instead.  When asked if it had been an accident, Susan meekly informed her that it was not.  Speaking loud enough that she was certain that the entire classroom could hear her, McGonagall said, "Mr. Weasley, although I must congratulate you on a successful transfiguration, I must also tell you that I am very disappointed in you.  Using this lesson to change another student into a badger is absolutely unacceptable behavior.  You will be receiving detention and twenty points will be taken from Gryffindor.  You will see me after class, so that we can make arrangements."

The class fell into immediate silence the moment Professor McGonagall started speaking.  Harry and Hermione didn't know what to think of Ron's latest stunt.  Did he just ensure his expulsion from Gryffindor?  Would all of their planning have been for nothing?  They sincerely hoped that wasn't the case.  Ron may have been making a major nuisance of himself for over a week, but he was still their friend and they had hoped to talk some sense into him.

When McGonagall finished speaking, Ron noticed that she went directly towards his two former friends and bent down to talk to them.  No doubt telling them that she was glad that she hadn't made me a prefect, he thought.

"Hermione, Harry, I do hope that the two of you can talk some sense in him.  I don't like the direction he seems to be headed.  If he does another stunt like that, I will have no choice but to remove him from Gryffindor."

Harry and Hermione both nodded solemnly.  Hermione was the first to reply.  "So do we, Professor.  No matter what he's done, he is still our friend.  We just hope he'll listen."

It was McGonagall's turn to nod.  The three of them turned to look toward the back of the room.  Ron was once again engrossed in his transfigurationing of the chimpanzee.  Twice he did a successful transfiguration, and twice he returned it to its original state.  He seemed to think for a moment before doing another transfiguration.  This time he transfigured the chimp into a coat rack.  Unlike the coat rack the class had done earlier in the month, this one had something hanging on it.  Hanging on the topmost post of the rack was a coat.  It wasn't just any coat; it was a chimpanzee fur coat.

The end of class could not have come a moment sooner.  Immediately all of the students quietly filed out of the room.  As they passed the coat rack, each student gave Ron a look of disgust.  Ron simply sat in his chair and smiled at each student as they passed.  He noticed that Harry and Hermione avoided looking in his direction as they left.

* * *

**A/N:**  I know that the student into a badger thing was done before, but this time it was done on purpose.  It wasn't an accident, like it was in CoS.  When I was thinking about what antics Ron could pull, I was reminded of that accident.  I immediately envisioned the new Ron spouting the line, "Stop badgering me."   And so it became.


	4. The Talk

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter universe or any of the recognizable characters living there. I am just borrowing them to tell this story.  
  
Summary: Harry and Hermione corner Ron and try to talk some sense into him.   
  
Thanks for the read & don't forget to review. :D  
  
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As per the plan, Harry and Hermione went directly to Professor Dumbledore's office. Knowing that his students would be skipping lunch to talk to Ron, Dumbledore had a platter of sandwiches and a pitcher of iced pumpkin juice sitting on his desk when they walked in. Upon seeing the food Harry heard his stomach give a long grumble; skimping at breakfast had caught up with him and he realized that he was ravenous. Hermione was just as hungry, but she was glad that her stomach chose to be quiet.  
  
"Ah, Harry, Hermione, please help yourselves to some sandwiches and juice. Dobby tells me that he prepared them especially for his favorite witch and wizard. He also asked me why you haven't been down to the kitchen to visit with him like Wheezy has. It seems that Mr. Weasley has been visiting the kitchen twice a day since this all began. At least we don't have to worry about HIM starving." Professor Dumbledore went on to talk about non-important things while Harry and Hermione were eating.  
  
As was normally the case, Hermione finished first and asked Dumbledore to demonstrate the unlocking charm that she and Harry would need when they were ready to leave. This gave Harry the extra few minutes that he needed to finish. Once they had finished Dumbledore cleared the food and dishes away.  
  
"Are you two ready?" Both students replied that they were. Dumbledore walked over to the fireplace and tossed some powder into it. Immediately the fire roared to life, then Dumbledore stuck his head into the flames. Having both witnessed this method of communicating in the wizarding world, neither Harry nor Hermione were the least bit surprised by it. Although they could no longer see his head they had no trouble hearing what he said. "Minerva, I wonder if I could see Mr. Weasley in my office for a moment?"  
  
"Certainly, Albus. He'll be there momentarily," came the response from Professor McGonagall. Harry had a little trouble hearing her since he was sitting on the opposite side of Hermione from the fireplace. He had no problems, however, hearing the slamming of a door just before Dumbledore broke the connection with McGonagall.  
  
* * *  
  
Once the connection with Professor Dumbledore had been broken, Professor McGonagall retrieved the owl that she had borrowed from the Owl Post office in Hogsmeade. She attached the phony Ministry letter to its leg and released it out the window. She hoped that she gave Ron enough time to get to Dumbledore's office.  
  
* * *  
  
Ron could hardly believe his luck. Not only had he received detention for later tonight, he was being summoned to the headmaster's office. This cannot be good. He suspected what it was about, his recent behavior shift. He wasn't stupid. He knew that he couldn't behave like he'd been and not get into trouble eventually.  
  
He could tell that something like this was coming. He had seen the look in Harry's eyes each time he had tried to talk to him. Instead of facing Harry, like he should have, he avoided him. He'd also been avoiding Hermione, but for different reasons. Harry had said that she had been waiting for him to ask her out for a long time. He had missed his chance. If only he hadn't kept chickening out and making excuses to be elsewhere when they were alone. He couldn't begrudge her for giving up and moving on. Harry, on the other hand, he couldn't forgive. Harry had known all along that he was interested in Hermione as more than friends and he went and asked her anyway.  
  
Harry had everything that Ron didn't. Harry didn't have to buy used school supplies because he was bloody rich. He was on the Quidditch team and would have been Captain this year if he hadn't turned it down. He was made a prefect and would most likely become Head Boy in seventh year. Harry was famous. Every person in the wizarding world knew who he was. Why did he have to have Hermione as well?  
  
Before Ron knew it he was standing in front of the statue of a griffin that marked the entrance to the headmaster's office. He gave the password and proceeded up the stairs that were revealed as the griffin turned around. At the top of the stairs he knocked on the only door and was admitted into the office.  
  
The first thing that he noticed was that Professor Dumbledore wasn't alone. Sitting in the two chairs directly in front of his desk were the two people that he didn't want to see, the two people that he had called friend since first year, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. He avoided looking at them when they turned in his direction, choosing instead to look at Professor Dumbledore.  
  
"You wanted to see me, Professor?" he asked without bothering to conceal his annoyance at being here.  
  
"Yes, I did, Mr. Weasley. I wanted to talk to you about . . ." At that moment an owl flew in the window and dropped a letter in front of him before flying back out the window. He looked at the letter and feigning a look of urgency, ripped the letter open. Keeping the same look pasted to his face, he pretended to read the letter. Once he reached the end of the letter, he folded it up and started for the office door. Pretending to remember that he had guests in his office, he turned and told them that he had to send an immediate response to the Ministry and would be back in a few minutes. With that said, he turned and exited the office, closing the door on his way out.  
  
Ron was standing about halfway between the door and the desk. He turned around, looked at the door, looked back at the desk, and looked at the door again. "Let me guess, he just locked me in here with you."  
  
After the briefest look in Harry's direction, Hermione got out of her chair and started toward Ron, stopping when he started backing away. Harry followed suit and stood next to Hermione.  
  
"Yes, Ron, he did. Harry and I asked him to. The three of us need to talk and this was the only way to ensure that you wouldn't run away again." She gestured back towards the desk and the chairs that they'd just vacated and asked Ron to sit down. Ron told her that he'd rather stand.   
  
"We're not leaving until you hear us out and that might take awhile." Harry returned to the desk and propped himself on the edge closest to the chairs. Hermione returned to her chair and again indicated that Ron should sit in the other.   
  
Seeing no other choice, Ron came over and sat in the chair heavily. He glowered at them for a few moments before saying, "Bloody say what you're going to say so I can leave."  
  
Once again Harry and Hermione glanced at each other as if to ask who should start. With a slight nod, Harry decided to start. "Ron, first I want to apologize for what I did the other week in the common room. I lost control and I could have seriously hurt you. I promised Dumbledore that I wouldn't use those gifts without his supervision, but I wasn't thinking clearly that night and could have killed you. I can't tell you how sorry I am.  
  
"I was so tired from Quidditch practice and engrossed in my potions essay that it took a few moments for my brain to start processing what you were saying. And once it caught up, I did something that I shouldn't have done, I lost my temper. I couldn't believe that the guy that I've considered my best friend for nearly five years was saying such things to me. I expected things like that from Malfoy, but never from you. The things that you said about me really hurt but I was willing to let you vent your anger. I hoped that once you said what you had to say that we would sit down and talk about them. I didn't want a repeat of the Goblet incident.  
  
"When you said what you did about Hermione, I completely lost all reason. I couldn't believe that you would say that about her. She'd been nothing but nice to you since day one and you went and said those awful things. I wanted you to shut up and knew that I had to make you be quiet. I didn't consciously do it; it just happened.  
  
"It wasn't until I returned to my room and started to calm down that I began to realize just how close I came to doing you serious harm. I lost it. I dropped to the floor, started shaking uncontrollably, and started crying. I cried because you were upset with me. I cried because I didn't know how bad I'd hurt you. I cried because I wasn't sure if I'd get the chance to tell you how sorry I was. As Hermione can attest, I was out of it for a while. I hadn't even realized that I had transported her or my stuff when I left. It wasn't until I started to feel someone rocking me gently that I realized just how much I wasn't in control.   
  
"I wanted to go back to the common room and talk things out, but I knew that I was in no condition to carry on a rational conversation. Between the two of us, Hermione and I decided that it would be better to wait until the next morning. We figured we see you at breakfast and we'd talk through it. Only you never showed up at breakfast. We tried to talk to you in class, but you wouldn't sit with us. Every time we tried to talk you'd disappear.  
  
"Then you became a whole different person. You became friends with Malfoy, which Hermione and I still can't figure out by the way. You seemed to take pleasure in tormenting us. And if that had been the extent of it, we could've overlooked it. But then you started to disrupt classes, talking back to professors, and starting fights with younger students. That was when we decided that we needed help in getting you to listen.  
  
"As I am sure McGonagall has told you, she's been considering expelling you from Gryffindor, and if that didn't help, from Hogwarts entirely. We're your friends Ron, and we're worried about you. We just want to help in any way we can."  
  
Ron sat quietly through the entire thing. He could almost see things from Harry's point of view. He knew that Harry was telling the truth about how it had affected him. He was almost willing to forgive him except for one thing, Hermione. "That's all well and all, but I still want to know why. Why did you have to go and ask Hermione out for? You knew how I felt, but you ignored it. Why?"  
  
Harry looked to Hermione for help explaining this part. Hermione leaned forward and placed her hand on Ron's knee for a moment to get him to look at her. Up until this point Ron had been avoiding looking at either one of them. Once he looked her directly in the face she began. "Ron, there's something that you need to know before we get to that. I've known for a while now that you wanted to ask me out. At first I was flattered and even considered asking you out first. But as time went on and you never asked, I started to really think about it. I thought about how I felt about you and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I think of you as a brother. I've spent so much time around your family that it's become like a second family to me. Once I realized how I felt, I started to dread the day you would ask. I didn't want to hurt your feelings by saying no, but I also knew that I couldn't go out with you.  
  
"When I mentioned to Harry what I suspected, he confirmed it. I told him about how I felt about you and about not wanting to hurt your feelings. We talked for hours about what I should do. Finally, we decided that I needed to talk to you about it and explain it to you. Harry started giving us opportunities to talk privately, but every time he left us alone you'd give some excuse and disappear. I was at a loss as to what I should do. Harry and I decided that we'd talk to you together, but whenever we tried to bring it up you'd change the subject or avoid us altogether.  
  
"It was about three weeks ago, when you'd run off somewhere, that Harry and I started talking about how we felt about each other. By the end of that conversation we had decided to start dating, but we kept it secret from everyone. We wanted to talk to you about everything first before anyone else found out. We didn't want you to find out from someone else and get angry because we didn't tell you personally.  
  
"We managed to keep it secret for about a week, but someone figured it out. Before we knew what happened you found out and decided to confront Harry.  
  
"Ron, I'm sorry that I can't return your feelings, but I don't think of you that way. I wish there was some way that I could express just how sorry I am." Hermione wiped away the tears that were threatening to fall and looked to Harry, seeking his support. He held out his hand to her, which she took into her own just long enough for her to regain her composure. They didn't hold hands very long for fear of upsetting Ron even more.  
  
Harry spoke again. "Ron, we never meant to hurt you in any way. We want so very much for us to be friends again. Not having you around has been so very discomfiting. We miss not having you there to tell your bad jokes or to do your impressions of the professors. We miss the unique way that you look at things. I even miss getting beat at wizard's chess. We forgive you for that night and we hope that you can forgive us."  
  
No one spoke for several long minutes. The tension that filled the room was almost palpable. Harry and Hermione kept glancing at each other as well as at Ron, while Ron just stared straight ahead.  
  
Without warning Ron got up from his chair and headed to the door. As soon as he reached the door he turned and looked back at them. "You've said your peace, now let me out." There was just a hint of impatience in his voice. Harry and Hermione didn't know what to do. They'd hoped that they could get through to him, but it looked as though that wasn't possible. Then Ron spoke again. "Please, I need some time to think." This last part was said without the impatience of the first. He sounded almost overwhelmed.  
  
Hermione removed the locking charm from the door and allowed Ron to step through the door before she told him, "You know where to find us when you're ready." He simply nodded and headed down the stairs. Harry came up behind her and put his arms around her, offering Hermione all the love and support he could give. She leaned into his embrace. "Do you think we got through to him, Harry?"  
  
"I honestly don't know. He's a different person now. We'll just have to wait and see." Harry bent down and kissed the girl that he loved more than anything and tried to pour as much of that love into the kiss as possible. 


	5. Think Before You Walk

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter universe or any of the recognizable characters living there. I am just borrowing them to tell this story.  
  
Summary: Ron has a run-in with someone that he recently wronged.  
  
Thanks for the read & don't forget to review. :D  
  
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Deep in thought Ron started to wander the halls of Hogwarts. He wasn't paying attention to where he was going, nor did he care. He had quite a bit to think about and left his feet to pick their own directions.   
  
Although he could see the situation from their point of view, he still felt betrayed by Harry and Hermione. Harry knew how he felt but still went and asked Hermione out. Hermione knew how he felt but didn't feel the same. He also couldn't help but wonder how things would've turned out if he hadn't avoided speaking to Hermione during the many opportunities that he had. Would things have turned out the same way? Was all of this just some big misunderstanding? Could they all be friends again after everything that's happened these past few weeks?  
  
He was so deep in thought that he failed to notice his path was suddenly blocked by another student that had just left a nearby room. His thoughts came to an abrupt halt when he collided with and knocked over the other student.  
  
Before his mind had completely caught up with the present he mumbled a weak "Sorry about that." That's when he realized who he had just run into. Sitting on the floor and looking at him with the slightest bit of fear in her eyes was the very student that he'd tormented in Transfigurations, Susan Bones.  
  
Susan couldn't believe that she had forgotten her Transfiguration textbook in the classroom when she left for lunch. Sure, she had just been turned into a badger by another student and had been upset by it but she wasn't normally that forgetful. Since she wasn't very hungry she decided to go back and get it before her next class. She found it without sitting right where she remembered it last and quickly left the room. If she hurried she could make it back to her dorm and drop it off before her next class. She was just thinking that she was glad that her next class wasn't with Gryffindor when she felt herself get knocked to the floor just outside the classroom. She heard someone saying that they were sorry and looked up with the intention of saying that she was just as much at fault for not watching where she was going. That's when she saw that she had just ran into the last person she wanted to see just then. Before today she would've been happy to see him. Now she was afraid that he'd turn her into something else for running into him. She grabbed her book from where it had fallen from her hands and started to slide backward away from Ron Weasley.  
  
Ron noticed that she was trying to get away from him even though she was still sitting on the hallway floor. Making a quick decision he held out his hand to help her up. "Please, let me help you up." She just sat there staring at his outstretched hand as if it might bite her.  
  
"I promise that I won't hurt you, Susan. In fact, I'm sorry for what I did earlier today and want to apologize. I've been in a foul mood for the past few weeks and I took it out on you. I'm also sorry for knocking you down when I should have been paying more attention to where I was going." Ron gave her what he hoped was a sincere smile while offering her his hand again. This time she took it tentatively.  
  
Something within her told her not to trust him, that he was just going to hurt her, but she was a trusting person by nature. She also believed in giving people second chances. He said he was sorry and appeared to sincerely mean it. When she seen him smile, although it was awkward, she found herself reaching up and taking his proffered hand and being pulled to her feet.  
  
They both stood there for a few moments looking at the other without saying anything. Each one was thinking that they should say something but not quite sure what to say. After about thirty seconds of awkward silence Susan looked directly into Ron's eyes and saw the hurt that he was feeling and felt herself wanting to once again help him.  
  
"Listen Ron, I don't accept your apology. I don't know what could've caused someone that I thought was a nice enough guy to do something so cruel to another person, let alone me. I've been nothing but nice to you and you go and turn me into a badger. I want to believe that there's a reason behind it.  
  
"But I'm willing to give you a second chance. If you were willing to meet me after dinner tonight and tell me what's bothering you then I might be able to accept your apology. Maybe if you talked to someone about it then you might be able to deal with it better than lashing out at fellow students." Susan continued to look him in the eye and could almost see his mind thinking about whether to accept or not.  
  
Ron could feel her looking right through him. He felt like she was reading his very soul as if it were an open book. He wasn't sure that he wanted to talk about his problems with someone that he barely knew. He also knew that she was right that talking about it would probably help. Without making a conscious decision he heard himself say, "Alright Susan, after dinner then."  
  
Even though he said he'd meet her, she could tell that he still wasn't quite sure it was a good idea. She took a step closer to him on his left side and placed her left hand on his shoulder. "Ron, I can't say that I'll forgive you afterward, but I can promise that whatever you tell me will stay between us. I won't tell anyone else." This earned her a slight nod and an almost smile. She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before she started to walk down the hall toward her next class.  
  
About halfway down the hall she turned her head and looked back to find that he was still looking at her with the same half-smile. With a quick shake of his head and a quick glance around he seemed to get his bearings and started walking again, presumably toward his next class. Before disappearing around a corner, he looked back and nodded again as if to say that he will meet her tonight. Once he was out of sight she couldn't help but smile to herself. She was going to be meeting with Ron Weasley. Sure, he was having some problems and they were just meeting to talk about them, but she couldn't help but think that was still damn cute.  
  
As Ron headed toward History of Magic he was once again lost in thought. This time, however, he was thinking about his recent run-in. Why would Susan be willing to meet with him after what he'd done to her earlier today? She had every right in the world to be angry with him, yet she still wanted to help him. He didn't deserve to have anyone being nice to him, especially her. The more that he thought about the upcoming meeting, he found that he was actually looking forward to it. Plus, he had to admit that once he had actually really looked at her that she was attractive in her own unique way. 


End file.
